Cottages for sale
Explore cottages for sale across the UK and find your perfect escape.
Explore cottages for sale
Looking for a rustic, rural retreat in the countryside? From small two-bedroom cottages to big and beautiful cottage-style homes, we’ve got thousands of country cottages for sale in the UK to explore.
Whether you’re looking in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, buy a cottage in the UK with Zoopla.
How much do cottages cost?
The price of cottages across the UK will vary according to their location, size, number of bedrooms, the condition they're in, their proximity to amenities and their overall appeal.
Cottages in popular coastal locations, like Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, or desirable countryside retreats, like the Cotswolds, Cheltenham and Bath, can be in high demand and are likely to fetch a higher price tag.
At Zoopla, we have thousands of cottages for sale and you can filter by size, price, location and more to find the perfect cottage for you.
The benefits of buying a cottage
A cottage can be a smart investment in a popular location
Country homes offer a great escape for you and your family
They can also generate income as a holiday home or long-term let
Enjoy being surrounded by nature with friends, family and loved ones
Create lifelong memories in a beautiful, rural retreat. Priceless.
Know your budget in 2 minutes
Discover the maximum mortgage you could get
Establish your monthly repayments
See homes you know you can afford
With no fees and no credit checks on your finances.
Popular locations for buying a cottage
A complete guide to buying a home
Buying a home is a big deal. From finding that perfect pad right through to exchanging contracts, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Written in partnership with The Brain Charity to help neurodivergent folk with moving home.
Sign in to save your faves
Access house price estimates, save properties and searches and get instant alerts for new listings and price reductions.
Cottages for sale FAQs
How do I start the process of buying a cottage?
Work out your budget and ideal location
Save up for a deposit
Start looking for your ideal cottage
Arrange a Mortgage in Principle with a lender
Put in an offer
Get a survey done
Hire a solicitor or conveyancer to manage the searches and purchase
Find out more in our Buying a house checklist
Do I need a real estate agent to buy a cottage?
Very few people sell their home privately in the UK. So while you don’t technically need to use a real estate agent to buy a cottage, you'll be able to explore a much wider range of cottages for sale if you do.
Most property purchases in the UK are handled by estate agents, and they can let you know when new cottages arrive on the market, find cottages that meet your criteria, take you for viewings and negotiate on your behalf.
They can even help you to understand some of the legal aspects around buying a property.
Find out more about what estate agents do.
What additional costs should I expect beyond the listing price?
Additional costs when buying a home include:
Stamp duty - 0% to 12% of the home’s value
Conveyancing / solicitor’s fees - £2,000
Mortgage arrangement fees - £1,000 to £2,000
Valuation fees - £150 - £800
Property survey - £400 - £1,500
Removals - £150 - £2,000
Find out more about the costs of buying a home.
What’s the average property tax on a cottage?
The average property tax (otherwise known as stamp duty) you pay on a cottage will depend on a number of factors, including:
the purchase price
the property type, such as whether it’s your main home or an additional home
if you’re eligible for tax relief or not. (You can get stamp duty relief if you and anyone else you buy with are first-time buyers)
The stamp duty percentage you pay increases according to the purchase price. So, the more expensive the property, the higher your tax bill is likely to be.
Find out more about how much stamp duty you’ll pay on a cottage.
Do cottages usually come with land ownership or just the building?
If the cottage is a freehold property, you’ll own the cottage and the land the building is on.
If the cottage is leasehold, you’ll own the building but not the land, and would pay ground rent to the freeholder.
Because cottages tend to be in rural locations, more often than not they’ll come with a garden that you buy with the building.
But it’s always worth checking the deeds and the details with your solicitor when buying a home.
Are there government incentives for buying a second home or cottage?
Unfortunately, there aren’t currently any government incentives available for buying a second home or cottage.
If you are buying your cottage as a second home, it’s important to know that higher stamp duty rates will apply.
With second homes, you pay the normal stamp duty rates plus a 5% surcharge on the entire cost of the property.
That means, if you bought a second home worth £300,000, you’d pay the standard £5,000 in stamp duty, plus 5% of the entire property price (£15,000) equating to an eye-watering £20,000.